Some crews have spent nearly two weeks on the fire lines, and the opportunity to pause for a moment with the dogs helps lift spirits.

"When you see your guys smiling and they're tired, they worked really hard yesterday, but they got time to come over and play with the dogs it's kind of neat," said Santa Barbara firefighter Jim McCoy.

Many firefighters say the visits are especially significant, since they haven't been able to see their own pets for a while.